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Danielle Bell

SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER FOR MEDIA RELATIONS

media@greenlining.org danielle.bell@greenlining.org

Molly Tafoya

Senior Director of Communications

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Molly Tafoya

Senior Director of Communications

Molly Tafoya (she/her/hers) is the Director of Communications at The Greenlining Institute, where she leads the communications team responsible for the organization’s strategic communications as well as earned and digital media strategies. Molly brings nearly 15 years of experience executing comprehensive public education campaigns, including policymaker and legislator engagement strategies to advance equity and justice for all. Her most recent roles have included Director of Nonprofit Partnerships with Open to All, where she directed a coalition of more than 200 intersection national and state advocacy organizations in advance of the vision that when a business opens its doors to the public, it should be open to all. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Community Engagement with the Movement Advancement Project maximizing the organization’s work advancing equality for LGBTQ people focusing on state-level engagement, coalition building, and advocacy. She has also served as Senior Field Representative with Asm. Rob Bonta, Director of Public Affairs with Early Edge California, and Director of Communications with One Iowa. From her work advancing LGBTQ equality, to lobbying for increased investments in early childhood education, Molly’s lifelong work for social justice and equity is grounded in her deep commitment to intersectional community engagement, and a strong love of strategic communications. She is the Board Chair for the City of Oakland Head Start program, a Head Coach with the Oakland Girls Softball League, and a volunteer with Brown Girl Surf. Raised in Hawai’`i, she misses it every day as she now lives in Oakland with her toddler and spouse. She holds a BA from Georgetown University.

Development & Communications Staff

$10 Million from Bezos Earth Fund Will Boost Local Community Groups to Fight Climate Change and Build Resilience 

Contact: Molly Tafoya, The Greenlining Institute Communications Director, 808-256-7064, molly.tafoya@greenlining.org

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – The Greenlining Institute has received a $10 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund to help communities of color most burdened by climate change and systemic discrimination forge the infrastructure needed to fight climate change and build healthier, more resilient communities.

Throughout our decades of advocating for equitable climate and energy policies, Greenlining knows that the communities with the greatest burdens and needs often lack the resources to even apply for and effectively use funding that exists for climate efforts. Over two thirds of this new grant will be designated specifically for local grassroots organizations in these communities, building infrastructure and connecting them with the technical expertise needed to develop climate resilience projects. Such projects include energy and water efficiency upgrades, solar installations on single-family homes and multi-family housing complexes, green infrastructure, streetscape improvements, electric vehicle carsharing programs and more. This includes $1 million specifically for a catalytic climate action and racial equity fund to seed early-stage, community-led climate projects that will benefit the hardest hit communities.

“The Greenlining Institute is building on a 30-year track record of success to create a better, more just future for everyone,” said Greenlining Institute President and CEO Debra Gore-Mann. “Our work to build enduring, transformative new solutions is core to who we are, and we’re proud to have that legacy recognized by the Bezos Earth Fund with this grant. We are committed to bringing together diverse stakeholders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors to create dynamic frameworks of shared power for lasting change. And we are being very intentional in how we intend to spend the funds, including designating nearly $6 million for grassroots communities and their critical climate resilience work — because communities know best what their neighborhoods need to thrive.”

To learn more about The Greenlining Institute, visit www.staging3.greenlining.org.

Molly Tafoya

Senior Director of Communications

Read Bio